3AJ starter motor cover stuck

**Barry Johnson** · #1 6 Jan 2004

Hi all

I've got my engine out and started tearing it down, however some spanner has been over-enthusiastic with the liquid gasket and I can't get the starter motor cover off.

I have the starter motor out and all the bolts off the crankcase cover and starter motor cover, but neither will budge and I don't want to force them.

Any suggestions?

Cheers

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Barry
3AJ Tenere

**FredXTZ** · #2 6 Jan 2004

Force them.

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Fred, XTZ660, Holland.

**GeoffE** · #3 6 Jan 2004

Hi Barry,
I have only taken the Clutch side off, and yes they are quite difficult. I used a piece of clean wood and using a mallet worked round over the joined edges until it started to give. The gasket should part eventually. There are a couple of spiggets keeping things in the right position, so it has to come (out) away from the joined edges.
I did this with the engine still in the bike, so you may have to secure the engine to obtain the right amount of "shock" - the gasket is only paper (ignoring the sealing compound) and should rip.

Good luck, Geoff

[This message has been edited by GeoffE (edited 06 January 2004).]

**Steve Pickford** · #4 6 Jan 2004

On most modern bikes there are normally a couple of "lever" points on opposing sides of the cover. You can apply pressure against them by levering or by tapping with a hide mallet.

On re-assembly, I'd avoid the Hermatite style instant gasket & use WelSeal or similar. You paint a thin smear on both sides of the (new) gasket as well as the cover & engine case. Leave for a few minutes & bolt together. It never sets hard like Hermatite & is easily removable.

Steve

**DAVSATO** · #5 8 Jan 2004

there should be some wedging points somewhere, try not to drive anything between the two faces, they must go back together again! make some wedges out of plastic or hardwood with the sharp edge thinner than the card gasket.(they need to be very shallow wedges, 100mm long and 10mm thick tapering to nothing would be about right).

the spigots mentioned are the shafts that the starter gears rotate through, so be careful and make sure the cover comes "straight" off, not at an angle. you will propobably find theres a 'pop' as the seal breaks and the cover comes off easily.

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dave